Salisbury Expects Back Taxes From Allentown

Salisbury Township and School District should have no problem recovering $64,000 in earned income taxes from the city of Allentown that date to 1982, according to the township's tax-collecting firm.

"In most cases taxing jurisdictions are fairly cooperative," said John Berkheimer, president of H.A. Berkheimer.

At the June 26 Board of Commissioners meeting, commissioners expressed concern that Allentown might enforce a three-year limit on the time that money could be claimed. When Berkheimer Associates, the tax-collecting firm and a division of H.A. Berkheimer, took over the two accounts, it found that claims for the transfer of earned income tax had not been filed since 1981.

But, Berkheimer said, it is not unusual for small tax collectors to be behind a few years.

"Even some large collectors, like Bethlehem, are habitually behind," he said.

Berkheimer said he wanted to inform the township and the school district that they would be applying for the money because it would inflate the budget for the year the claims are honored.

"We just wanted to let them know it was a one-time shot," he said. The issue should be resolved in 12 to 18 months.

Berkheimer Associates can collect taxes more efficiently than the old treasury system because it has its own computer system.

Former township treasurer Harry Faust said collecting taxes from other municipalities was a long process, especially because he didn't have a computer.

"We were normally backed up a couple of years," Faust said. "It's a lousy system, but that's the way it operates."

Faust said Salisbury is unusual because it has three mailing addresses: Allentown, Emmaus and Bethlehem.

"Most of the time, people don't know where they live," he said. But Faust said he always went after the taxes owed to Salisbury.

Berkheimer Associates has not issued the $10,000 the township and the school district owe other municipalities because the commissioners want to know how much of the $7,000 they owe was from taxes collected before 1983. The school district already has given its approval in writing.

Township Manager Clifford Steff said it has been difficult trying to separate the money into years.

"What difference does it make if we're not going to renege on it?" Steff said. "I'm recommending (to the commissioners) that we pay it. All these communities owe us a lot more money than we owe them."

Commissioner Janet Keim said, "I think we're going to pay what we owe, hoping that the others will do the same."